Thoughts on fixing a tree house

[Hugh R]

I built this for my kids 20 years ago. Its made with very light weight steel studs. I realize that I undersized the floor joists, one split and it it sagging.




I have 3 choices, leave it, which is a liability when I sell the house (not a good option), tear it down, possibility of a few $100, or jack it up about $100.

I'm thinking of sinking some concrete piers below it and getting some pipe and house screw jacks to lift it up. I went inside it and overall its pretty solid.

[TheMentat]

wow... that thing would be rusted & rotten beyond recognition after 20 years in this climate!

If you are concerned about liability, just get rid of it. As an aside, I'm surprised that would be a liability issue if you sold the house. One would think a disclosure would be sufficient protection.

[911 Rod]

How much time do you spend in it? lol

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by TheMentat

If you are concerned about liability, just get rid of it. As an aside, I'm surprised that would be a liability issue if you sold the house. One would think a disclosure would be sufficient protection.

You forget. This is America.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

How much time do you spend in it? lol

That'd be a mighty cool fort to play "army" in....
But Hugh is a Marine

[URY914]

Rent it out. A family of 5 can live in it easy.

[Hugh R]

LOL, it has a rolled asphalt composition roof and screened windows. The exterior is now faded but finished in the same ship-lap as the house and used to be the same color, it has electricity and is close to requiring a building permit. I called my contractor about ripping it out, we'll see. When building it, I decided to make it tall enough for an adult to walk in the doorway, and stand up right. Its 8' by 8' with a deck.

I only fell out of it twice when constructing it, but I had a fall arrest harness on both times, hooked to a large overhead tree branch, and it still hurt like a motherfucher. When wearing a fall arrest harness, make sure the straps are clear of "the package".

[Por_sha911]

Ask a trusted Realtor if it would be a plus or a minus.
People with active boys would love it for them but it is probably a minus since it would then have to pass the inspection for the loan.

[1990C4S]

Perhaps Jose is moving in.

[1990C4S]

I vote 'Make the treehouse great again!'

[HardDrive]

Why get rid of it? I think its cool. Replace the subframe with 2x10 pressure treated, replace rotted floor joists as needed, level it up in the process, throw a coat of stain on everything.

[Hugh R]

My contractor says $750 to get rid of it. I may well go that route. IIRC, I spent about $1,000 on building it 20 years ago.

[wayner]

How many parents today woul let their kids go near that thing?

I have no idea, but in our day that would have been the coolest thing around, especially if it had a retractable rope ladder and an alligator pit to keep out the girls

[911boost]

Treehouse Masters | Animal Planet

You didn't want to call these guys and sink $100K into it?

[RKDinOKC]

When I bought my current home it had a pretty nice tree house. The seller asked for it. Since we had no kids I agreed and when we moved in you couldn't tell it was ever there.

[Evans, Marv]

If your contractor can take it down in panels, maybe you could sell it to somebody to reassemble for use as a storage shed. That way you'd get some money back, get it hauled off, and someone else would get some use out of it.

[MBAtarga]

Seems it could be repurposed as a hunting blind in some parts of the country!

[Kraftwerk]

wait, I will destroy it for $550 !

[LakeCleElum]

Between my chainsaw and tractor, I'd have it on the ground in 5 minutes......No burn ban this time of year. A few old car tires and a quart of old motor oil:

"POOF"........Throw the scrap steel in the garbage.........

[Hugh R]

Thanks guys, yeah. I'm getting too old to climb up and refinish it with new flooring and such. I spec'd out the cost of putting in 2 foot pilings and screw jacks and 2 inch tube steel pipe to jack it up and its just not worth it to me.